International News
Ex-Minister Accuses Colombia President Of Drug Abuse
A former top minister and once-ally publicly accused Colombia’s president of being a drug addict Wednesday, a charge leftist Gustavo Petro has frequently denied.
Ex-foreign minister Alvaro Leyva released an open letter claiming Petro had disappeared for two days during an official visit to Paris in 2023.
“It was in Paris that I was able to confirm that you have a drug addiction problem,” 82-year-old Leyva said.
These were “embarrassing moments for me as a person and as foreign minister,” he added, without providing more details.
Petro responded on X: “I’ve simply been slandered.”
“During an official visit by a head of state to France, there is always direct and permanent physical protection from the French secret service,” he said.
Petro said he spent those two days with his daughter and grandchildren who live in Paris, and that he was “addicted to love.”
Opposition lawmakers called for Petro to undergo drug and psychiatric tests to determine if he is “fit to govern.”
Although politically conservative, Leyva had been close to the leftist president.
He served as a peace negotiator under a series of Colombian governments of all political shades and twice unsuccessfully ran for the presidency himself.
Colombia’s inspector general forced Leyva’s suspension in early 2024 over the mismanagement of a passport printing tender — a decision Petro opposed and branded politically motivated.
Since then Leyva has hinted that Petro may have a drug problem.
Petro has frequently dismissed such claims and did so again on Wednesday.
He posted on social media that he had better things to do than hang around with his foreign minister.
“Isn’t Paris full of parks, museums, bookstores more interesting than the letter’s writer, to spend two days in? Almost everything in Paris is more interesting.”
“Don’t I have daughters and granddaughters in Paris who are far more interesting than the writer?”
Petro’s stance on drugs has sometimes caused controversy among his conservative opponents.
His frequent unexplained lateness to events has been linked to an alleged addiction. Once, as a candidate, Petro apologized for attending a public event drunk.
He has frequently downplayed the effects of cocaine, backing legalization and claiming whiskey “kills more” people.
During Petro’s tenure, Colombia’s cocaine production has soared to record highs and eradication efforts have slowed.
He recently assured the public that his only addiction was to coffee, another Colombian agricultural staple.
German authorities deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens across five chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to migration monitoring reports.
Data from the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org shows the deportations occurred in phases, with 27 Nigerians returned in February, 37 in March through a joint European Union operation, 24 in April, 23 in May, and 26 in June.
The February operation departed from Stuttgart and landed at Lagos Cargo Airport, with Baden-Württemberg listed as a primary participant. The March operation represented the largest single return of Nigerians recorded over three years and was executed in collaboration with Spain, Austria, and Belgium.
The reports indicate a growing reliance on multi-national chartered flights by European states to repatriate undocumented or non-resident individuals to Nigeria.
The United States has condemned the killing of members of the family of Plateau-based cleric, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, describing the attack as horrific and urging Nigerian authorities to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In a statement shared on X on Thursday, the US Department of State’s Bureau of African Affairs expressed condolences to the victims’ families and called for stronger measures to prevent further attacks on vulnerable communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
“The United States strongly condemns the horrific killing of members of Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo’s family in Plateau State, Nigeria. The continued violence targeting Christian communities and other vulnerable populations in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is deeply alarming,” the bureau said
The US said it had already engaged Nigerian officials on the worsening security situation, stressing that urgent action was needed to curb recurring attacks and hold perpetrators accountable.
“As I discussed last week with Nigerian officials, we must do more to prevent violent acts. The perpetrators must be held accountable, and urgent action is needed to strengthen security and protect Christians and other vulnerable communities,” the statement added.
The bureau reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to working with the Nigerian government to combat terrorism and violent extremism, stressing that Christians and other Nigerians should be able to practise their faith without fear of violence.
The statement followed the July 12 attack on Kum community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, where nine members of Rev. Dachomo’s extended family, including a two-month-old baby, were killed.
According to the cleric, the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani militias, asked for him by name before opening fire on his relatives.
Dachomo, who serves as Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, said his family had repeatedly been targeted because of his outspoken criticism of the violence in Plateau State.
He recalled that his grandmother and an uncle were also killed in previous attacks, adding that days after burying his relatives, he received a written death threat from the same group, warning that he would be their next target.
Saudi Arabia has updated its tourist eVisa programme for 2026, limiting eligibility in Africa to only three countries as part of its list of 66 nations whose citizens can apply through the Kingdom’s online visa platform.
The move leaves most African countries, including Nigeria, outside the simplified entry scheme.
The electronic visa allows eligible travellers to visit Saudi Arabia for tourism, leisure activities, family visits and Umrah, excluding the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Applications are completed online, eliminating the need for embassy visits and lengthy visa processing.
Saudi authorities said the eVisa forms part of ongoing efforts to expand tourism, attract international visitors and simplify travel procedures through a fully digital application system. The visa is available only to citizens of approved countries and territories listed on the Kingdom’s official tourism portal.
Below is the list of African countries eligible for Saudi Arabia’s eVisa.
1. Mauritius
2. Seychelles
3. South Africa
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